The Diner Nashville

Reviews 4

CH

Charles Smith

Hopefully my experience was an exception, but I REALLY doubt it. I was a server/bartender for about 7 years so I understand whats easy and whats a pain to get right. So I normally dont get mad at concepts of a restaurant, but different floors having different menus and the inability to make reservations for a floor of your choosing is at odds really. Couldve looked past that. Drink service is slow and normally priced for a big city but a bit overpriced for Nashville, with quality about average. Couldve looked past that. Our server was fine, but just needed more training as he didnt have answers for fairly standard restaurant questions. Server was initially occupied by a large party so he didnt have enough time to deal with us (understandably, its a screw up of the seating/assignment to servers). One of the servers that stopped by our table, because he noticed how long everything was taking, was great (in this case responsive), so maybe The Diner is just understaffing a friday night dinner service. Food was a big meh: bland ribs, cold burgers (re-ordered and overdone but at least warm), boring salads, under seasoned all around (usually restaurants way over season), eh oysters (we had to special order these from a different floor, which was a cumbersome process). Pretty overpriced really, Applebees-esque quality with pricing of a much much better place. Actually, Applebees is better. Building looks inviting from the outside, inside is eh, its a weird space and they did try with it but with a dated idea of what nice restaurant furniture is. Initially charged for the wrong things, but that was fixed. That happens, just a straw on the camels back. Unfortunately, this place will do fine because of the massive tourist crowd that will fund it. Heres my suggestion to the owners: youre paying for a huge space in downtown Nashville, pay a little more for your servers and food and make that place a destination. Different menus different floors is initially a fun idea but fraught with issues in practice. I doubt I will ever go back. You want oysters? Southern is across street and way better all around. You want some sandwich and some cheap beer? Roberts Western World. You want some ribs? Any other place that has them. Burgers? Everyone has them and theyre all better. etc... One of my worst dining experiences ever. Good luck to the management of The Diner.

DA

Darlene Valencia

My dining experience on the second floor was fine, despite ordering a salad and two drinks and receiving a $45 bill. I went home to find my credit card and ID missing from my purse. So I called The Diner in hopes that I dropped it as I left my table (my wallet is old and a little loose). What happened next would be one of the most bizarre experiences Ive ever dealt with in my life! The woman who answered the phone put me on hold to go check. When she returned she said she had it! So I said thank you, cursed my old wallet, and drove back to the restaurant. When I got there, the hostess happily told me that the waitress behind the counter had it. I walked over to her. It took a good two minutes to get her attention because she was fixated on her phone. She was not friendly and told me that she didnt have it (she was still on her phone. She never looked). I asked kindly to check. With an attitude, the waitress opened the register, pulled out about two dozen credit cards (not kidding) to show me that she didnt have it. So I went back to the second floor, which was closed. The one guy there didnt open any register, but instead looked in the bin where they keep the ice! He also looked under cups, and under napkins on the bar like a child! Later the manager claimed that my card had to have been stolen between the time I got off the phone the first time and drove back to the restaurant. So by that beautiful logic, only an employee could have stolen it as it was in their possession. She took my name and number, promised shed look, and get back to me. Never heard from her again. I called the next afternoon. It took two tries to get a manager. He too promised to look and get back to me. I didnt hear back until a good friend (a man) called on my behalf. The manager (Christian) called back, apologized for everyones behavior, but questioned as to whether I had the first phone conversation. Nice! Apologize then imply Im a liar! Judging by past reviews, the staff is terrible and this confirms it. God speed to anyone who has a more serious issue at this restaurant. Be prepared to be treated like an idiot and have a lot of lies thrown at you. With the overpriced food on top of that, Im staying away for good.

LA

Lakisha Jestice

I hardly ever give a place 1 star but what else can you give a place when you werent offered anything. Not offered anything ... you think in dismay ... not a glass of water, a menu, a drink, or even an unwelcoming glance. Maybe I wore my invisible cloak that night and didnt realize it. Ive been so excited to try this place every since I noticed the big billboard on I-24 back at the end of 2016 speaking of its upcoming opening. I decided to head to The Diner to pass the time while waiting to meet a friend at another spot. There was not a crowd on this lovely evening. The entirety of downtown Nashville was in the throes of "Preds Fever" and most of the fans were elsewhere watching the game. I went straight to the 2nd floor to the sports bar. Deciding that watching a piece of the game and enjoying a drink would be cool. I sat facing the Batman building. The building itself really is in a lovely spot and has a unique look and feel. The first floor does truly look like a diner with upscale accoutrements. I sat there and I sat there. I looked around and yes there was staff there and other patrons. I decided to give them a break and to give it a little more time. So I sat some more and still nothing ... I kid you not ... I was ignored for over 20 minutes. Finally, I got up and walked out. In my hard heart, I would like to say that Ill only come back to this place if Im already downtown and some friends/family have come in from out of town and its 4am and were starving and intoxicated with no place else to grab food and drink at that time of night and the closest is Uber is 30 minutes away but every place deserves a second chance ... I guess. Maybe a different floor will acknowledge my existence.

DI

DiO Damon

The entire staff needs to be thrown away. Im a black male, the only black male patron in the restaurant at the time and I was treated visibly differently from the older white patrons in the restaurant. There were no brown servers on the first floor. I waited for 10 minutes before someone came to my table. I waited 30 minutes for food that came out cold. I waited another 15 minutes just to be served the same meal reheated in the microwave. The was no heat coming from either of my plates. I dont know if the high top tables are too close together or what but my waiter bumped into my table twice, the second time almost knocking my drink over- I felt disrespected. I went to the diner with the intention of making it my getaway spot where I could eat and drink away from it all but the people are just not that friendly or maybe Im not that friendly, but apart of your job is to make guests feel welcomed. I thought about speaking with management but who has time for that anymore? Now Im sitting here almost tipsy (I planned on spending more on alcohol but whatever), and hungry looking for somewhere else to spend my money. Ive visited once before and was mildly satisfied, hoping that this time would be be better. I plan to go one more time because I love seafood and want to check out the upper levels. My suggestion to you guys is to recruit more brown people, Asian, African Americans- people who find joy in spreading the love and providing service. Your staff is rigid and only smile genuinely at people who look like them.